Shane and Nikki came all the way to Alaska to elope in Girdwood. The area is such a beautiful place and home to Alyeska, a world-class ski resort, which makes is a very popular destination in winter. In the summer months it stays hopping with lots of festivals and outdoor activities. There is no shortage of hiking trails or amazing sights including waterfalls, meadows surrounded by mountains, and ocean views from the iconic Turnagain Arm, so it’s no wonder that Shane and Nikki chose this area to tie the knot. It was a drizzly and cold day, but I don’t think anything could have dampened the spirit of these two. They were practically glowing.
There were a few parts and pieces of this particular elopement that I LOVED photographically:
- The Florals // Paper Peony was the florist who made the incredible bouquet and crown. It was wild, full of color that really popped against the dreary gray day. The crown was oversized and more than most brides go for, but I thought the bold look was so stunning and in my opinion added so much life and romance to the look.
- The Weather // Gosh, no one wakes up and thinks YAY, it’s raining. And we get it. Bad weather is uncomfortable and if it’s torrential, it can be difficult to get the photos you crave. BUT. Some our most favorite images were taken in storms. The discord in the clouds, the wind, the dark mood can be so stunning. Had it not been windy we would have never been able to capture such epic hair and veil movement. (Also, THIS is why we always encourage brides to wear their hair down and why we are such big fans of lightweight, long veils.)
- The Couple // Shane and Nikki were effortless. They just went together and had a chemistry in front of our lens that was palpable. We appreciated that they were up for anything and let us lead! We got a good idea of what they were looking for and then they just trusted our vision and followed along. That trust makes all the difference in good photography.
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